Five Flavor Soup for the Seven Chakras
by Domestic Servant
Summary: Ah, memories, an everyday part of life, yes? Join Aang and company and then some more as they look back, recalling events of love, friendship, tough times, and valuable lessons. Sixth: Kuzon the Great.
1. Toph Bei Fong

**Disclaimed.**

Toph Bei Fong

--

_"I love you. That's my secret. No hearts. No pretty drawings. No poems or cryptic messages. I love you."_

--

I was never one for things of the quixotic and gushy sort. That cute, romantic way of life that just makes a girl like me want to throw up. Not that I ever had anything _to _throw up. At the time, the foodman of our little group was pretty incapable of just about anything except sarcastic remarks and food ingestion. And, occasionally, ideas. Occasionally. But...slowly, I guess I began to grow up. Like everyone does. I was just as much a tomboy as ever, not caring for my appearances and manners...but I was more aware of things that I never noticed before. Vocals, his hand slightly brushing against mine (on accident, I'd assume), and his swagger; he was full of himself, yet approachable.

And it all started when I was hit in the head with a belt.

I can't remember exactly what it was that he said. Maybe he apologized? But, to me, he was always the loudest, the most prominent. I could easily drown out everyone, and just hear him talking. Though it was normally a harsh boyish screech, it held a certain smoothness when he really got serious...which was a side I can't say I enjoyed. Truthfully, I found it unnerving when he was serious, because he was like the comic relief. The guy who made everyone feel lighter because of his stupidity. I remember telling him so and, _hah_, I wish I could've seen his face. He took it as such a compliment at first, taking about a minute to completely register the insult. Though, I have to say, he really knew how to make people laugh. If anything, he had wit.

It was too bad, though. I didn't know it then, but he already had ties to a certain girl. A certain Kyoshi warrior that I am truely friends with...but it's okay to envy friends. Right? Not that I would have ever admitted that to anyone. To the outside, I was a strong, confident girl, who barrelled through life, not taking no for an answer; an accomplished earthbender with no reason to feel any pulls of jealousy. But I was just that. I was a _girl. _A _human_. Capable of feeling emotions and things, though they never made it to the surface...unless they were the general feelings of anger or happiness. Once, I let slip an ounce of desperation. Of sadness. I was clinging to life, his hand in mine. But...it was that girl again. She saved us and I owe her my life. In all actuality, I find it funny. Hysterical. I'd shown one moment of weakness to him, a side that rarely surfaced, and then _she _came. _And I am not being bitter._

Why should I be bitter? He chose her, not me. That's life. I'll get over it. Eventually. I'm still sixteen, with a whole life ahead. I'm not sure I'll ever find a guy who understood me quite as well as him. A guy who could cheer me up and take my food...and drop a belt on my head.

No, I won't ever find a guy like_ him. _But...that's the least of my worries. I'm Toph Bei Fong, the greatest earthbender in the world. I'd be damned if a pathetic excuse for a man like him succeeds in bringing me down.

--

--

Hmm, character studies...I never really thought the Tokka ship was actually hinted at in the show, until I saw the Serpant's Pass. Aah, I felt so bad for Toph right when Suki saved her I was like, "_Woman! Let the poor girl drown!_" Aahhaha, but I'd imagine her to be a strong girl. She'd get through an unrequited love like that all right. No bruises or cuts.

Also, I just bought a...uh...Chicken Soup book (it's so addicting!) and thought about it and thought about it. And I'm not too familiar with the character personalities of some characters. Like Toph. Though, I have to say, Sokka is pretty easy. He may be hard to draw, but he's like an every-man. I think everyone has a little bit of Sokka in them. And I think it'd be fun to give little insights of characters and what they were thinking when this happened, canon or not. But really, its a lot more of a character (and shipping) study for myself...updated sporadically when I decide to :)

Which means there is no definite pairing lineage set in stone...thing.

But that shouldn't discourage you from **reviewing!**

Ahaha, wow, I wonder when this'll be updated...(looks onto 2009)

_Ciao_

PS. Any qualms, suggestions, praise, problems you have with this depiction of Toph, tell me. She's my favorite character and I want to do justice to her personality. If you liked, say it. If you found problems with the way she was written, do tell..._por favor :D_


	2. Red Shoe Guy

**Disclaimed.**

Red Shoe Guy

--

_"Really?! You think so?! I'm so excited!"_

--

It's been a year and a half since Aunt Wu told me that I would be wearing red shoes the day I met my true love. The war is over and peace is in the air. I've long since left the village and I am now travelling around, broadening my horizens and meeting new people. The sense of unity in the world has inspired me to get out there and see things myself and explore the four nations...well...three I suppose. The airbenders still have a lot of catching up to do...I can't help but feel a twinge of pity for the Avatar, being the last and all. He and his waterbender are going to be busy...and not just with travelling.

At any rate, I'm now on an island, famous for its elephant koi and female warriors. I believe it's called the island of the Kyoshi? Or Kyoshi Island? Something to do with Avatar Kyoshi, that much I'm certain. I'm feeling a bit antsy, though, because the soles of my red shoes have been steadily wearing down -- o_kay_, they're now officially dead. I had accidentally caught them in a small bramble bush and now they're torn to shreds. I need to buy a new pair, lest I bump into my true love today.

I walk swiftly to the nearest inn and set my bags in my designated room, stopping once to ask the keeper where the nearest shoemaker was. He points in the general direction of the left and I set out, barefoot. As I pass by the various shops and stands, I see a familiar face. A young boy with a ponytail thing on his head, talking to a warrior. They're laughing and happy and I feel jealous because I'd been waiting patiently for a year and a half for something like that. The boy turns as I pass and scrutinizes me with his eyes, trying to place my face with a name...I hadn't even told him my name, back then. Something dawns on him, as his features morph into one of a friendly nature and he jogs up to me, leading his warrior lady along. I notice that she is wearing a blue necklace. I wonder what that means.

"Hey! I know you! You're the guy from that village with Aunt Wu and I totally yelled at you for listening to her garbage about the red sho -- Why aren't you wearing your red shoes?"

"They got torn to shreds and now I'm going to buy some new ones."

"Oh, okay then." He turns to the girl and gives her a cheeky smile as she pecks him on the side of his face. "I hope you meet your lady soon. I know I have!" he says, waving as he walks away. I cock my eyebrow. From what I remember, that kid was about as pessimistic as my late grandfather. Always believing the worst was going to happen and that faith was stupid and _blahblahblah_. Maybe that blue necklace had something to do with his obvious optimism? His palette was ruled by blue, while hers was green, so I could only guess it was a gift from him to her. And engagement trinket of some sort, perhaps?

I shrugged, making my way faster towards the shoemaker, and, finally reaching the shop, I walked in, surveying the selection that didn't seem to include the color red. Sighing, I turn to walk out, when the owner calls me back.

"Can I help you, boy?"

"I need some red shoes, but I can see you don't have any readily available. I'll just be going now, thanks," I reply.

"Oh, I do indeed have some red shoes, but they're being looked at by a young lady at the moment." He comes towards me, stooping low to examine my feet. "I think you two are about the same size. I'll tell you what. If she don't want them shoes, I'll give them to you for free."

My eyes widen in surprise. For free?

He reads my expression and chuckles. "In fact, why don't you go back there. Maybe you can convince her to not buy them."

I smile gratefully. This stranger seemed to understand my need for the shoes and I thank him heartily, walking towards the back of the shop where the girl is trying them on. It's another one of those warriors, except she's not wearing the uniform, only the makeup. Instead, her clothing of choice seems to be a garish pink top, exposing her flat stomach, and matching pants. She looks up, absently slipping on the left shoes, and greets me with a wide, perky smile.

"Hi!" she says. Her voice was girly and stood out just as much as her outfit.

"...Hello," I hesitantly reply, eyeing the shoes wearily. I didn't know how I was going to convince her to give me the shoes. She seemed to like them alot.

"Where are your shoes?" she asks, looking down at my feet. People seemed to be doing that a lot, I notice. "And why're you back here if you don't have a pair to try on?" This time, she was looking at my empty hands.

"Actually, I came back here to ask if I could...possibly...have the shoes you're trying on now. I need some red ones. It's _crucial_. But...you have the last pair and, well..."

Her smile widens as she giggles, slipping the shoes off. "Well, I was only trying them on for fun, anyway. I could get a pair of these in the Fire Nation, cause I know people." She winks at me, and I'm momentarily short of breath. "Try them on though, just to make sure they fit."

She hands me the attire and watches me as I self-conciously put them on. They fit perfectly, not too snug _or_ loose. And they're very well made. I take a few experimental steps, and find them better than my older pair.

She claps her hands together in delight, obviously thinking the same as I...Well, in terms of the shoes, that is. I turn around, hearing a few steps behind me as the owner slowly comes towards us. "Do they fit?" he asks, already knowing that the girl had let me have them from her expression.

I nod.

"Well, deal's a deal, then," he says, chuckling, naturally slightly peeved that he was giving something away for free, yet glad that he had done some good that day.

The girl picks up her bag and turns to me, smiling like before. I couldn't seem to catch my breath, yet again. "I hope those shoes stay with you for awhile."

She turns to walk away, and then whirls around to face me again. Intrusively, she gets all in my face and points. "By the way," she starts. "You're _cute_."

I stand frozen in shock as she bids the shopkeeper and I goodbye, and I stay frozen until she is well out of sight. The old shopkeeper pats me on the shoulder and walks back towards his counter, fixing a display of suede slip-ons.

"You're cute, too..." I whisper to myself, walking slowly out of the shop in my new red shoes.

--

--

HAHA. Ty Lee x Red Shoe Guy? Am I the only one who's written for this ship? I hope not, haha. It's kinda cute, actually :selfconcious: I wanted to write something about the Red Shoe Guy and it turned into him meeting Ty Lee at Kyoshi and yeah. Retyshogee is the official name for the ship, I decided XDD

Ah, I love crack-pairings.

But, yes. This is anything but crack. I think the extra-extra side characters need some lovin', along with the mere extras. I plan on making this include every character who had at least one line in the show. Serious stuff. I think they all need some moment of shinetime, right? It's only fair, now that the series is over.

Uhm, so, I hope you enjoyed this! I had fun writing it. I have never written Ty Lee...so I apologize in advance if she's not peppy enough. And I guess there's nothing to be sorry about over Red Shoe Guy because all we know about him is that he's desperate enough for true love that he'd wear red shoes everyday of his life in order to ensure he finds it.

Aunt Wu, you conniving old lady :)

Any qualms, praise, comments, problems, or anything else that you have, leave a review. If you enjoyed it, or, rather if you didn't, tell me so because, believe it or not, reviews and critiques are motivation :)

_Veloma!_


	3. Sokka

**Disclaimed.**

Sokka 

--

_"No wonder the flames smelled so nice."_

--

I remember the day when I made the biggest mistake of my young, hardly fulfilled life. I mean, sure, I helped the Avatar win the war against those jerktastic firebenders, but that's hardly any fulfillment. Come on. It was all partially survival of the fittest and of course, the _Fire Nation _were not the fittest...or the survivaliest. But anyway, it was the stupidest thing I'd ever been lured into doing. Seriously. Here I am, the meat-and-sarcasm guy of our group, and Aang decides to promote vegetarianism and somehow I got sucked into changing my lifestyle for a _whole week. _A whole week without nice, juicy, engorgingly delicious and tasty meat. And here I thought the days where I would be living off of berries for days at a time were over.

_WRONG._

Not only was I going to be living off berries, but I was going to be doing it _knowing _I could easily go out and buy some _real food _because hey, I actually had some money.

Urgh, I swear! I swear on...just..._everyone_. How could I be so stupid? It's like me convincing Zuko to live in the South Pole in the middle of winter with no sun at all. And he'd, like, die or something. Like me...except I'd be dying without meat. Which, oddly, I didn't die. I was just highly irritable and seriously, I could have sworn I saw Katara's face, you know, during that _time of the month, _everytime I looked into a mirror. It was that bad. Like, male PMS or something. I shudder at the thought everytime.

And then Toph. Oh, that little feind. I wanted to strangle her. I really did. Too bad she was blind. It wouldn't have been as satisfying. She would dangle meat in my face and describe the spices and how it was cooked and by who and I really, really was just cursing the hell out of her. But come on, how was I the only one to have to become a vegetarian for a _week?_ Don't they all know me well enough to realize that I'm pretty much just...allergic to all things that grow out of the ground? Well...mentally allergic...I guess. But they all got the better end of the stick! It's not like we pulled straws or anything...I think.

I'm beginning to think that I was like, a sociopathic serial killer in a past life because I really don't understand why the universe hates me so much.

_Note to self: Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever listen to the Avatar again. Ever. EVER. EVERRR._

_--_

_--_

So just think of this as a random little entry in Sokka's ever-so-manly _personal journal. _Not a diary, a _journal_. Ahaha :)

Just some ramblings. Next to Toph, Sokka is my favorite and his manner of speaking is just so fun and easy to write. In my opinion, at least. I don't know if this fits your personal bill on in-characterness for him XP But it does for me!

Go Sokka! And uh, yeah. Just a lil thing cause I'm just easing myself off of homework for the night :) Gosh, I don't like homework very much!

I'm guessing no one does, though. Hopefully!

Uhm, tell me your thoughts and review, as always; I hope you enjoyed it! See ya next time, whenever that may be. I need to _STUDY_!

Arrivederci!

PS. Thanks for the feedback, so far :) I'm glad you all seem to like it!


	4. Song

**Disclamed.**

Song

--

_"The burnt child dreads the fire."_

_-Ben Jonson_

--

I helped him. I helped his uncle. My family fed them and gave them comfort and warmth, if only for a day...and they were _Fire Nation. _I'll admit, he and his uncle both were_ banished_ citizens, but they were from the royal court, both of them previously having the title of the Crown Prince at some point in their life.

And I _helped them._

I'd never felt so repulsed in my life when I saw the face of the new Fire Lord. Of course, I was glad that that horrid century-old war was finally over and done with and that there was peace...but I was only human and I was bitter. I was angry and I was betrayed. I hear, from rumors, that people who'd associated with Fire Lord Zuko always felt that way at least once around him. Even when I didn't know he was a firebender, he betrayed me, stealing my ostrich horse. I could forgive him for that, and I did, but once I found out who he really was, the anger came back and I found all the more reason to despise him.

My mother thinks I'm being ridiculous, but she of all people should understand! We had housed an enemy _while _they were enemies. She fed them and they _stole our ostrich horse._

And now he was Fire Lord and friends with the Avatar, whom I hear he hunted for quite a while. What was it, three years? He sought out to destroy the one glare of hope this world had for _three years. _How could he just turn around and think he could redeem himself from all the terrible things his family and his nation had done to everyone? To me? To _my _family?

I can never trust him. I just can't. My mother says he's doing good to the world and the Fire Nation Islands, that they're slowly repenting themselves of every evil deed the previous Fire Lord had done. But how could anyone think that he's doing good? Don't they remember? Don't they remember what he did? Doesn't my _mom_ remember?

Doesn't she?

He came to us, and we accepted them with open arms, and then he betrays us, _me, _by stealing after we generously gave. And then, I find that he had betrayed us yet a second time by being of the Fire Nation.

I hate him. _I hate him._ Everytime I see a poster of his face and scar I want to throw up. I can never forgive what they did to me, what_ he_ did to me. Everyone thinks I'm being irrational but they don't see like I do. They don't _get it_.

Fire Lord Zuko may have helped the Avatar learn firebending and win the war...but I can't see the worth. I can't help but feel suspicious of him. He's not good. _He's not good, at all._

_--_

_--_

Hmmm, don't know if anyone remembers Song but she was that one chick who healed Iroh from that white jade or something. And then she got ostrich-horsejacked by Zuko. Aahahha. She seems a bitter girl. Well, not really, but I don't know. Could she have accepted that she had openly accepted the future Fire Lord while the Fire Nation was still, you know, evil? I'd be kinda disturbed. Not hateful, just disturbed. Just my interpretation. She's a very vague character and I like to think that everyone has a dark side...yes, even Aang? Maybe in the Avatar State XP

And I know this is written in a very clipped and redundant manner, and I apologize if clipped and redundant things annoy you, but it's supposed to be a rant of sorts, like a monologue. I don't how everyone thinks, but when I think to myself, it's clipped and repetitive. Very. And there's desperation in it, too. She wants people to understand where she's coming from and she wants to justify her indignation towards Zuko. I'm beginning to think that maybe this could work for Katara as well. LOL. Just take some parts out and add some others and then set this to the time when Zuko sought out Team Avatar at the Western Air Temple and yays! Katara!Rant.

To any and all Song fans, I'm sorry she sounds like such a bitch. REALLY!

Anyways, I hope you liked, enjoyed, and delighted in this little look into a double-side character's life and mind. They need more love.

All right! Review and tell me what you liked, didn't, any praise or things to edit that you caught while reading :) They're much appreciated!

_Good Morning!_


	5. Katara

**Disclaimed.**

Katara

**--**

_"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."_

_-The Wonder Years_

_--_

As much as I don't want to admit it, my favorite memory during our journey with Aang was when we were at Ember Island.

It was the whole group; it was me, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Zuko, Momo, Suki and Appa. Not once prior to, well, everything did I think that our small beginning troup of three was going to end up with four more members, one of them being the Fire Prince, no less.

But Ember Island...it was a wonderful experience. Of course, the war was still happening, but it was a happy reminder of all the stupid little things we used to do. We went to that play, we had fun on the beach. It was like we were milking the peace we found on that island for all it was worth. Because I think, in the back of everyone's mind, there was that notion that Aang wasn't going to win, that we were all going to either die or live to suffer under Ozai's reign for the rest of our lives. So we played. And we held onto our slipping innocence, grasping for the last few days, to spend them as children, and not burden-heavy young adults.

Ember Island also played a huge part in my now-close friendship with Zuko. It was incredible, how much I could get him to open up on that little island. At first, and I think I could say the same about everyone else, he was reluctant to forget his duties in the coming weeks, when we would finally set out to end his father. But slowly, he relaxed. It was like the crashing of the waves on the shore hypnotized the inhabitants of this beach to just forget.

So one day, I asked Zuko to give me a tour of his family's summer house. He obliged. Along the way, he told me stories of happier times. Of Lu Ten, his late cousin, son of Iroh, who died in the 600-day Seige of Ba Sing Se. He told me stories of how he and his sister made little clay plaques of their tiny hands. I asked to see them, but he just looked down and said he had done away with them the last time he came here. And he also told me stories of how their father was actually kind of a nice guy. He remembered that his father and mother used to come into both his and Azula's room to wish them a goodnight...

I had tears in my eyes.

When he saw that I was crying for him, he laughed and rolled his eyes, muttering something about girls and their emotions. Then I punched him. Zuko picked up his pace and glanced back, seeing if I was coming. I was. We went up some stairs and down a hall which ended at nothing. I looked up questioningly, but he didn't notice, so I just waited. He jumped up and grabbed a string hanging from the ceiling that I hadn't seen before and pulled it down, a small staircase coming with it. He smiled and started to walk up, telling me that if I wanted to cry at his memories...

I followed him, the height of my curiousity piqued.

When I reached the top, now in the hollows of the ceiling and roof, I saw scrolls and boxes littering the floor. Childerns toys and blankets and family portraits and clothes...it was all there. All the things that weren't downstairs in the bedrooms were in here. He told me they were mostly stuff that he and his sister abandoned as they grew older.

I picked up and examined as many things as I could find, handling them with the utmost care, as if they were sacred relics of the long-forgotten past. Picking up a doll, I stroked it's fine porcelain face and silken hair, asking who's it was. It was Azula's. It was Azula's first friend, actually, given to her by their mother. She carried the doll everywhere; it ate dinner with them, went to the Ember Island Players, the beach, everywhere. Her name was Bo, standing for precious, because that was what it was to the young Azula at the time. It struck me that Azula was once a little girl, no different from when I was that age, full of innocence. I heard Zuko come over to me and sit cross-legged, taking the doll from my hands. He held it up, inspecting it, and told me that Azula grew out of Bo quickly, becoming far more interested in the mechanics of firebending. It was about the same time that their mother and father started to play favorites. He wondered aloud, and I didn't know(_and still to this day don't_) if I was meant to hear this, that if his mother spent more time with Azula, she would have ended up a nicer girl.

I took the doll back, asking if I could keep it. He shrugged. Azula didn't need it anymore. I hid the relic in my bag, and we both made our way back downstairs, where I felt a huge change in the quality of the air. It was thinner down below, whereas the atmosphere in the attic was thick with memories. I kind of missed it right then.

I asked Zuko if I could come back after the war and dig around up there some more. He looked at me funny and shrugged again, a small smile playing on the corners of his lips.

And even though I had forgiven him for all his past deeds after he took me to obtain closure from my mother's killer, it was then that I had really become his friend. I clutched my bag, holding that doll securely, and we walked out together to take these last moments of (_kind of_) peace for granted.

--

--

Okay, guys. This is written in an odd style. I just can't make something sentimental when it has dialogue...it's weird. And I always seem to screw myself over with grammar. I write and then go back and see that I wrote in such an impossible manner that it'd take me hours to proof-read.

:pats self on back:

Okay, so I loved the Ember Island episode. I agree with what Sokka said, about going to the play was the kind of meaningless fun they had been missing. Or something to that degree. The stupid fun is always the best. I wish I had a doll named Bo. By the way, this is a friendship!Zuko and Katara thing. Anything that may be hinted at a Zutara is not intentional. But...if you want to read it like that, go right ahead :)

I just figured out that I suck at plot. But that's beside the point!

Anyway, I do wish you enjoyed this. I had a fun 45 minutes of writing it (_you can tell by the quality :cough_:). I know it's not that funny...at all...but, you know how it goes :D

Please review and tell me what you think! Any thoughts, thistles, queries, or quacks!

Yes. Right.

_domani _

PS. too lazy to proof-read 394581 times (I only read over it once), so if you catch any stupid grammatical mistakes tell me so I can fix them :)


	6. Kya: As Told By Hakoda

**Disclaimed.**

Kya: As Told By Hakoda

--

_"We do not die because we have to die; we die because one day...our consciousness was forced to deem it necessary." _

_-Antonin Artaud_

--

Hello? Oh! Greetings, young Earth Kingdom boy, what brings you down south?

You want to know about my beloved late wife, Kya? These inquiries of yours, what exactly brought them on? Oh? You must know my daughter well, then.

I guess I am obliged to answer, at the referral Katara has given you. It only makes sense, after all. I was..._am_...Kya's devoted husband and know her as best a man could in the years we were together and well.

It's a shame that she cannot talk of her own life herself, but, I shall do my best...

I recall, in my early to mid teens, catching a small glimpse of a beautiful girl, sewing animal skins into heavy winter jackets with her girlfriends. Nimble fingers expertly ran the hemp thread through the thick hide like a soft stream. I was smitten the minute our eyes met. However, I was in those awkward years where showing any outward signs of weakness in front of my male friends was inconceivable. I was a naive boy, I must say.

So, being accompanied by my good friend, Bato, which, I guess I forgot to tell you what I was doing when I indirectly met my future wife...but nevermind the specifics, I could hardly remember my own name at that moment.

Anyway, Bato was with me and he must've sensed something in the atmosphere change because he followed my line of sight and nodded his head, once or twice, perhaps in approval.

"Kya," was all he said. Ah, so her name was as beautiful as her face! Immedietely, I felt below her, out of her league; my self-esteem dropped a couple miles down, down into the negatives, for I saw a dashing young man, older than I was by a few years and far more experienced, walk up to her and present her with a small trinket. She accepted politely, looking at it and then setting it down carefully. A betrothal necklace, I assumed, and so I turned away and walked off, doing whatever it was that I was doing before I fell in love and got my heart broken almost simultaneously.

Except, Bato knew nothing of the latter...like I would ever tell him such an unmanly thing! And don't you go telling him either. _Don't. _I mean it.

A few weeks later, and the sores of my emotional wounds were beginning to heal. My mother, Kanna, hit me upside the head a couple times, to slap some sense into me. She was a blunt old woman, I'll tell you that. Telling it like it is was her favorite thing to do.

"You don't know love from a piece of meat! Get over yourself, before I do it for you, boy! Now go fetch some berries."

My, my, it's a wonder how Pakku fell in love with her. Possibly, she was the most masculine woman I have ever met...though I suppose, in her younger years, she had kept in touch with her feminine side more frequently.

But that's beside the point. Getting back to the subject, I was soon back to my normal, over-confident, boyish self. The guy who everyone wanted to be around; I exuded charisma. Now, I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but I had many a girls flocking to my side. And when I say flock, I don't mean one or two. Of course, in all love stories alike, Kya was not one of them. In fact, I saw her maybe once or twice a month, in passing. She was a stay-at-home type of girl, one destined to be the perfect mother and housewife.

"Good catch," my friends would say, but that's not how I saw it. I didn't see her domesticity as an advantage on my part, where she would listen to everything I said and take it as law; rather, I saw her as the mother to my children. The one to nurture them into respectable citizens of the Southern Water Tribe. I would be the one taking her orders, as opposed to the opposite, and I mean that in the least vulgar way.

Tch, kids and their dirty minds these days.

At any rate, each time I saw her assisting her mother around her igloo, my heart sank deeper and deeper into the oblivion I'd like to call _unrequited love. _I studied her neck often, trying to see if she was wearing that trinket given to her by that boy some time ago, but it never showed up. Inwardly, I cheered.

One day, Bato and I were contemplating penguin sledding, surveying the glaciers and cliffsides, looking for the best possible terrain to get the highest adrenaline rush. I peered in the distance, eyes squinted in the blinding snow, when I caught sight of Kya.

Now, you might be thinking the same as I was when I saw her: _what was she doing out here?_

"Woah, what's she doing out here?" I heard Bato ask. My exact thoughts, I wanted to say, but he started up, yet again. "Shouldn't she be at home, sewing or something?"

Scandalized and not wanting to agree, I said nothing. I turned away, back to my cliffside scouting, when I heard Bato's trudging get fainter and fainter and to my horror, looking back, I saw his figure in the distance, calling to Kya.

"_HEY!_ What're you doing out here in man's country!"

I wanted to slap him. Really. Just because he didn't have a mom who would slap him upside the head everytime anything remotely sexist left his mouth, didn't mean he had to take advantage of it. I ran after him, exasperated by his outward masculinity and ready to apologize for him, when I was stopped by the most musical voice I had my ears had ever been graced with.

"Can't a girl have some fun? You pig," she joked.

Oh, La, if I said I was in love before, then this? What was _this _I was feeling?

Not only was she domesticated, but given the right environment, she knew how to be one of the guys.

And when I say one of the guys, whew,_ I mean it_.

They say a man falls for a girl based on her similarity to his mother. At first, I thought all of that to be bull. Kya was nothing like my mother; she was feminine, kind, feminine, and didn't seem a hair harsher than the soft blue flowers that bloomed every Spring.

I was wrong. Given that Bato and I took the time to get to know her, her kind, girlish shell broke open and revealed a feirce female who could make the most shameful expletives sound like sweet, sweet music. She _did_ love to cuss.

That aside, the three of us, Bato, Kya, and I became the best of friends. A small triangle of fun-loving, trouble-making feinds. Though, she was a trouble-maker by night. She kept up her womanly facade during the daylight, humoring her mother with the wonders of domesticity, she would tell us. Though, I had a feeling she was a natural mother-type.

I never told her this, but whenever she held a child in her arms, her complexion would brighten just a smidgen, bringing out the lightness of her blue eyes and her smile.

However, as we got older, our immaturity waned, sanding itself down to reveal a more serious outlook on life. It was at this time we were truely aware of the war. Bato had asked about our lack of waterbenders one day and my mother had held no details back, telling the terror-filled stories of the gradual reduction of the waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe. Kya had been reduced to tears and Bato and I had begun harboring strong feelings against the Fire Nation. As youngsters, we had been sheltered from the horrors of the world, our elders wanting us to live peacefully for at least a small amount of time before being thrust into the harsh realities of what was really happening.

Sadly, that time had come. The men of the tribe were preparing for a recon mission, just south of the Earth Kingdom, for further usage. We weren't involved in the war just yet, but soon, my mother would say. Very soon. Bato and I were 17, going on 18 at that time and Kya was 16. She had been in my life (_as a friend_) for three years, and at the proposal Bato's father had made about us two boys joining in for the recon, I had been caught in an awkward position.

As much as I wanted to stay with Kya and build our budding (_I was hoping it was budding_) relationship, I didn't want to look like a wimp in front of the men. But then I didn't want to get injured either. I wasn't really the warrior type at the time and had minimal training with spears and other weapons. In fact, my training had just started only six months prior to the announcement of the mission.

I wasn't exactly a fast learner.

So, having made my final decision, I asked Kya on a date. That night, I led her to the place where we first met, the cliffside where Bato wondrously started a conversation with her, in which I selfishly jumped into thanks to my crush on her (_and I still have to think him for that_). I remember her confused look on her face in the moonlight, the way her lips pursed in deep thought. Obviously, she didn't remember our first meeting as vividly as I.

"Why're we here?" she asked me. I scratched the back of my neck, looking this way and that, anywhere except her inquiring eyes.

"Well...I don't know if you remember..." I started dumbly. And I hope you know how lucky you are that I'm telling you all this. My own son doesn't even know the awkwardness of my first date with his mother. As far as he knows, I was a charmer who swept Kya off her feet the minute she laid eyes on me. "But this is where you first met Bato and I...when we were penguin sledding..."

Her eyes crinkled in mirth, the memory flashing in her eyes. "Then where's Bato?" she asked. I was stumped to answer her. What was I supposed to say to that? _Honestly_, this woman...

"Uh..." Where? _Where_ had that charismatic, confident boy I once was gone? Down the cliffside, that's where!

"It's okay. I think I know why, anyway. I won't embarrass you any further demanding an answer. So...why...?" she started again.

Deciding that this was one of those now or never situations I kept hearing about from the older and more seasoned men, I took Kya's hands and stared into her eyes with a newfound motivation.

"I..." I started. Her lips quivered and her eyebrows knit together in anticipation. "I..."

"You...?" she whispered, prompting my confession of the feelings I had had for her.

"I..." Panicking, I felt my confidence waver. Some man I was!

Summoning all the courage I had within me, before it drained out (and it was draining, I tell you), I pulled her hands towards me and smashed my lips against her...

...nose.

Her eyes widened in surprise and I let go of her hands, which she raised up to her face to cover her nose.

Cue facepalm.

"Stupidstupid_stupid."_

"Uh...Ha-Hako..." her voice was shaking and muffled, as her hands were still covering the part of her face that I accidently kissed. "Hakodawhatwasthat?" she finally asked, lifting her palms long enough to voice audible words.

"Bad aim," I mumbled. Hopefully, we could just forget this ever happened. I kicked the snow with my feet as I felt her arms encircle mine.

"What were you really aiming at?" she asked, now smiling mischeiviously. I still saw a deep blush on her face, but at least her dignity was still intact...unlike mine.

I didn't say anything in response, partially because I didn't trust myself at a time like this to say anything clever. The other reason was that before I could get anything out, regardless of the lack of cleverness, Kya had stood on her tippy-toes and pecked me lightly on the lips.

"There," she said, smiling broadly.

The atmosphere in the air cleared, I began kicking the snow again. Now was the second hardest part. Fantastic. "Kya, Bato and I decided to go with the other men of the tribe on that recon thing...We probably won't be back for two months."

The happiness in her face had downgraded to an expression of worry.

"Wi--"

"I'll wait for you," she told me, taking the words right out of my mouth.

We walked back to the village, hand-in-hand, and she helped me pack my things, not that there was much to pack. As she left my humble abode, Bato was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed, and his smirk knowing.

"She told me everything," he said.

_What?!_

"_What?!"_ I vocalized.

"Yeah. Hopefully, it's just your mouth with bad aim..._if _you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows a few times to get his point across, which I answered with the toss of a fish.

"_Hakoda! Do NOT waste our food," _my mother yelled. I rolled my eyes, vowing to myself to get even with Bato.

Finally, the day had come to set out and all of the women of the village, along with their young children, stood by the makeshift docks to see their sons and husbands off. One of the was Kya, who I had now been dating for, oh, three weeks

"I'll wait for you," she said as we hugged each other goodbye.

And she did. I came back two months later to her open arms. We were engaged and married a mere four months later and expecting our first child, Sokka, a year after.

I did love her. Since the moment I laid my eyes on her.

Unfortunately, our happiness was cut short. About six years after our second child was born, Katara, the Fire Nation had raided the village, upon hearing rumors of a waterbender in the vicinity.

Kya had sacrificed herself for our waterbending daughter. She really was the natural mother-type.

She was perfect, and I suppose that was why she had to leave so early.

Oh, come now, don't cry. There were more than enough tears shed for my late wife. She wouldn't want some stranger wasting bodily fluids on her. Be a man, dammit!

What? Now you're laughing? What fo -- _bodily fluids? _Get your mind out of the swamp, boy!

Oh, and that? Hmmm...now that you mention it, I never did find out about that gift that boy had given her so long ago...

Now get! It's getting late and I'm too tired for more stories. You'll have to come some other time. And _yes _my aim had improved as I got older. Thank you and goodnight.

--

--

Wooh, this was long. I actually got this idea early Monday morning, as I was drinking my coffee outside.

I'm sure this is chock full of grammatical errors. But, please don't mind them, a lot of them are stylistic. Any dumb ones or mispelled words, diction errors, you can bring to my attention, though :)

My thoughts on this? I actually think Hakoda wasn't the smooth warrior cheiftan way back when...at least, with Kya. And of course, Katara had to get her hard-headed beastiness from somewhere. It's both maternal AND paternal!

And we all know that Hakoda was a bumbling idiot, just like Sokka. Like father like son, and vice versa.

I hope you enjoyed :) I have a feeling ya'll won't be hearing from me in a while. School starts back up after this joyous four-day weekend and grades go out sometime soon and I need to FOCUS.

_adieu_

PS. and review :) Yeah, I just rhymed. Jesse Jackson would be proud (_please tell you understand that_).


	7. Kuzon the Great

**Disclaimed.**

Kuzon the Great

--

_"He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you."_

--

I'm his best friend.

I'm _still_ his best friend...even though he kind of stood me up a century ago. He and Appa were supposed to come visit because, well, a Fire Nation kid had quite a few obligations at that time, with lessons and training. It was rare to have a day dedicated to_ just_ having fun. And when I did have one of those days off, and I knew in advance, Aang and I would arrange to hang out and get into trouble. Yeah. That was supposed to happen that day. I was so excited because I hadn't seen him in months...plus, courtesy of Gyatso, I had found out that Aang was the_ Avatar_! I planned on surprising him with knowing the information, not that it would've altered our friendship in any way. Maybe I could've been his teacher, you know?

But he kind of never came. It was like a kick in the gut, to be frank. We'd planned this since the month before, and he just blew me off. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. We were like twin brothers: on the same wavelength and communication via telepathy and all that good stuff. I had sat on my porch from noon til the sun went down. By then I was pretty sure he wasn't going to show.

But I never found out _why_. Why he never came. No letter or messenger or anything. In fact, the last I heard from him, he was all about the two of us going to visit his friend Bumi in Omashu next time he was in the Fire Nation.

And then, months later, the Air Nomads were obliterated. Com_plete_ly wiped out. What for, I'd asked my mom. I had been best friends with the Avatar, who was born an Air Nomad_ (but nobody knew that.)_ She didn't know either. When my father came back home, as he had been in one of the infantries that attacked the Air Temples, he wasn't quite the same. Always depressed and always looking sorry. Truth be told, our small family had been fond of Aang and the monks that we had come to befriend. I suppose that's what did my father in. Perhaps he had killed a familiar face. Perhaps that was why he eventually commited suicide. He couldn't take the guilt.

After that, my mother and I decided to stay loyal to our values. We were friends with the Nomads, and so, of course, the genocide had offended us to some degree. My mom, a highly opiniated and respected firebender, spoke out against the Fire Lord's actions, citing her husband's untimely death his fault.

Bad idea, apparently.

Bluntly put, she got executed. By then I was resentful. The Fire Nation had taken away my best friend _(or so I thought at that time)_ and my parents. But I didn't dare say anything that would anger the officials or the Fire Lord. No way. I was smarter than that.

So, I ran away to Omashu. I had finally met Bumi. Now, this was a few decades after the Air Nomads were singed off the planet. And, presumedly, the Avatar as well. But yeah. I went to Omashu and Bumi and I both became quick friends, thanks to our mutual friendship with Aang. I stayed in Omashu my whole life, that is, until one fateful day when I went strolling in the woods outside the city and got captured by some bounty hunters. I didn't even know I held a bounty. _Wow_. Apparently I was a threat to the foundations of the Fire Nation because of my mother's insubordination.

_So_...I was captured. And thrown in The Boiling Rock where I spent a number of days before I was just to hell with it.

I tried to escape._ Tried_ being the keyword.

I ended up being boiled while fireballs were being thrown at my body.

Fun way to die, huh? At least I still had my morals, I say.

I couldn't just turn my back on him, you know. No way would I give in to the Fire Nation and it's twisted values.

_No way._

I was loyal to Avatar Aang, my best friend in the whole world.

And I'd do it all again, if need be. Except, of course, I can't...being dead and all.

Haha.

--

--

I give you KUZON THE GREAT! Ah man, he's my favorite 'character with no lines or screentime' ever. Seriously, since we know nothing about his personality, other than he was besties with Aangy...all we can do is guess.

My interpretation of Kuzon the Great? He was into Pai Sho, peace, and good comfort food. His mother was a great cook with a loud mouth and a slight Southern-accent. His dad was, in turn, very sensitive. An all around Pisces kind of guy.

So, they were a family with a nice set of what was right and wrong. I also reckon that Kuzon was a member of the White Lotus :)

Hooray for good Firebenders!

So yeah. My take on Kuzon the Great. He needs more fanfiction.

_Adios!_

PS. Why yes, his surname is, in fact, _THE GREAT._


End file.
